BSC School of Business Student Earns Elite Ranking in International Business Simulation Competition (w/photo)

(Bluefield)—“ A Bluefield State College student finished among the upper 7% of all competing teams during the recent Spring “Capstone Challenge,” a global online business simulation competition undertaken this year by more than 940 graduate and undergraduate student teams worldwide. Competing as an individual against multiple student teams from throughout the world, BSC student Bob Brown finished 57th overall. His finishing position ranked ahead of all 36 teams from West Virginia University, and he placed higher than any other entering team from the entire state.

Brown, who is also the Assistant Director of Human Resources at Flowers Bakery, enjoyed the experience. “I liked the competition…measuring myself against others,” he said. “The Capstone Challenge drew upon everything I’ve learned in my pursuit of a degree in management and marketing. I was able to develop an expanded spread sheet that helped in the tracking processes of the business simulation. As a result, I could expedite some decisions and make projections that really helped throughout the competition.”

“Bob’s success came against a field that included teams comprised of graduate students as well as undergraduate students from large universities,” noted Dr. Steve Bourne, BSC Professor of Business. “His score surpassed that of teams from the University of Indiana, Vanderbilt University, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Wisconsin, to name a few.”

In Dr. Bourne’s “Business Strategy” course, BSC students take part in the simulation “Capstone,” the most widely used business training simulation in the world. “The experience is a ‘hands on’ exercise, where students make business decisions in situations that are very similar to those they will make in a ‘real world’ setting,” Bourne explained. “Students develop a business strategy and make adjustments throughout the simulated challenge. They apply much of the knowledge acquired in other business courses, thus the exercise is an excellent measure of a student’s ability to integrate business concepts.”

Although Dr. Bourne’s “Business Strategy” students aren’t required to take part in the “Capstone Challenge” tournament, they can earn extra credit for quality performance in the event. “This tournament enables our students to measure themselves against other students from around the world,” he continued. In Bobby’s case, he chose to compete as an individual, which makes his accomplishment all the more impressive.

“The Capstone Challenge provides an action learning device that is enabling students at all professional levels to learn in a risk-free environment,” said Dan Smith, president of Management Simulations, Inc. and adjunct professor at DePaul University, Chicago. "The global competition teaches important and complicated business principles that result in better-prepared and more-skilled students.”

Brown, a North Tazewell, VA resident, will be a magna cum laude baccalaureate graduate in May.